I first found out about these DIY Shaking Bottles or sensory bottles from a stay-at-home Dad/friend, who made them for his son to enjoy. He also makes them and gives them out as gifts. I love a toddler activity that’s easy, looks great and provides opportunities for learning too!

Text: Shaking bottles for fun and learning- sensory bottles with blue lids and orange, green, and blue liquid, and rainbow rice lined up on wood background- kids activities blog — Make your own shaking bottles to help your child explore textures and the world.

DIY Sensory Bottles

I’ve had my eyes peeled for a number of weeks, looking for the perfect bottles to make a set of shaking bottles of our own. I finally found some at during a trip to a salvage grocery store. Whoo-hoo! Hopefully these will help entertain our youngest during a long road trip coming up.

Related: More fun activities for toddlers and babies.

Supplies you need to make your own Shaking Bottle Toddler Toy

Some small, fun bottles
Gorilla Glue
a variety of “fillers”: water, food colouring, hair gel, dish soap, oils, silica balls, coloured rice, tissue paper etc.
Collection of stuff to put in your bottles: charms, beads, glitter, small plastic toys, buttons, etc.

Sensory bottle with rainbow rice and foam slugs in a plastic bottle with water- kids activities blog — Check it out, this bottle is filled with coloured rice and craft foam pieces.

How to A Super Easy and Fun Sensory Bottle

Step 1

Wash out a bottle with a cap lid.

Step 2

Add the charms, beads, etc to the inside of your bottle.

Step 3

Top off your bottle with water/liquid or whatever filler you’ve chosen. Liquid and oil is always a fun combo, but using plain oil or water always works as well. Avoid anything with sugar as it will probably start molding and smelling.

Step 4

Glue the lid back on and make sure it is tight and full dried before playing.

Sensory bottle filled with hair gel and red, yellow, and blue vase beads at the bottom of the plastic bottle- kids activities blog — This one is filled with hair gel and glass vase fillers or beads.

Craft Notes For Your DIY Sensory Bottle

I had used hot glue before and rubber cement, even super glue, for our “I Spy Rice Jars”.

The problem with hot glue and rubber cement is that it is malable. The problem with super glue is its ability to crack. My son was able to open the jars given enough time and boredom (both in abundance during road trips) using all those other glues.

Gorilla Glue is really tough! So far we’ve used it to put back together magnets, plastic doll heads, toy cars, etc. Its great stuff. I think I’ve finally found a glue that works!

Sensory bottle filled with water and orange food coloring with orange, pink, green, yellow, and purple beads at the bottom- kids activities blog — This sensory bottle is filled with water, food colouring and craft beads.

Our Experience With These DIY Sensory Bottles

Hand your toy to your toddler to shake, bang and bite to their hearts content! Even my older preschoolers enjoy these bottles!

Sensory bottle held by a little boy in a ball cap - sensory bottle is a plastic bottle with blue lid and foamy white and blue soap mixture inside it- kids activities blog — Look how fun this sensory bottle is filled with soap and water.

We play can you find the “dime” or whatever, it is a great way to keep them active on a trip. Hopefully, these will remain in one piece.

Sensory bottles lined up on concrete with- rainbow rice- white rice and blue pink and purple tissue paper, orange liquid and beads, blue and white liquid and foam, and green liquid with vase beads, kids activities blog — There are so many sensory bottles to make!

DIY Sensory Bottle For Kids

Make your own sensory bottle using bottles, items you have around the house like rice and beads, and some kind of liquids. Toddlers, preschoolers, and even kindergarten kids will love exploring and learning with these super easy to make sensory bottles.

Materials

Some small, fun bottles
Gorilla Glue
a variety of “fillers”: water, food colouring, hair gel, dish soap, oils, silica balls, coloured rice, tissue paper etc.
Collection of stuff to put in your bottles: charms, beads, glitter, small plastic toys, buttons, etc.